Chapter 27
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 27
After being subjected to teabagging by Porori, I was finally able to make a decision.
First, let’s quickly regain my language. As much as I dislike it, I should start by talking to the gods.
However, to have a direct conversation with the gods, I need to raise my faith as much as possible.
If that’s not an option, the only other way is to visit the “Temple” directly. The problem is that the temple is in another country.
For now, the only option is to visit a church and pray. Or, like Porori, offer daily tributes.
‘But is it really because of faith that my language is messed up?’
Porori became a Spirit Beast after offering tributes for 100 days. Meanwhile, I lost my language.
Considering how I cursed at the sky every single day, it’s a somewhat plausible theory.
‘Why does this have to reflect reality so much?’
In the Soul World, faith is similar to magic. Like magic, speaking aloud grants buffs.
You can even do amusing things by inputting macros.
For example, to cast a buff on someone, you need to say a long phrase.
But the higher your faith, the shorter the phrase becomes, and when combined with macros, the results are extraordinary.
‘Was it true that just saying “Water” would grant everything?’
I’ve heard there’s even a meme combining the legendary “Water” with something else.
It shows just how much the gods value language. Thinking this way makes it even more convincing.
‘Let’s start by getting my speech back.’
For reference, even Porori couldn’t master written characters. He can only speak; the guy is illiterate too.
Well, the written characters in this world, especially the common language, are ridiculously difficult. If even the common language is like this, how much worse must other languages be?
I’ve decided to visit the church this weekend, so I’ll pray then. I have many questions, but those will have to wait until I visit the temple.
‘Or should I start believing in Gulak too?’
Praying at the church is for the Goddess of Life, Gaia, while offering tributes like Porori is for the God of Destruction, Gulak.
The God of Chaos, Chaos, as the name suggests, has tricky conditions. If you satisfy its idea of “fun,” it tends to grant various blessings.
‘Though even that “fun” is based on its own standards.’
Regardless, it’s best to avoid seeking blessings from Chaos.
Getting involved with that one will only skyrocket the difficulty of life, not to mention the frequent trolling.
Like I mentioned before, it’ll cast a buff when you need healing and healing when you need a buff.
It does get serious at times, but most people quit out of frustration before that happens.
“··· ···”
Maybe it’s because of all these random thoughts swirling in my head, but I can’t seem to sleep tonight.
I slowly got up from the bed and looked out the window. The night sky was adorned with countless stars.
The moonlight was so bright that it felt radiant. Well, my good eyesight probably helped too.
Knock, knock, knock—
While I was staring blankly out the window, it happened.
Instead of the bedroom door, I heard a tapping sound coming from the window.
Focusing more intently, I saw a very familiar silhouette.
[Hey. Friend. Got a moment to talk?]
It was Porori, the guy who teased me endlessly before leaving.
The sight of him immediately made my blood boil, but curiosity struck first. Why was he here at this hour?
Surely, he didn’t come just to mock me again. He must have a reason.
Squeak—
I got out of bed and opened the window. As soon as I did, he scurried inside.
It was 2 a.m., a time when everyone else was fast asleep. Even Rod, who was in deep slumber, wouldn’t notice.
Porori and I, however, still retained our wild instincts, making it nearly impossible to fall into a deep sleep. Not that it made us tired.
“F*ck?”
I asked Porori why he had come.
He climbed onto my bed, sat cross-legged, and spoke seriously.
“I heard from the Young Lady. She said you saved my life.”
“··· ···”
It seems he had learned the full story. But I didn’t respond.
There was no point in bragging, and it wasn’t a fair fight to begin with. Without Ellie, I would’ve died alongside him.
I didn’t want the outcome to be decided that way, so I asked for Porori to be spared.
“I won’t thank you. If it had ended like that, I would’ve haunted you even in death.”
That’s so like Porori. I smirked, raising one corner of my mouth.
His rude way of speaking hadn’t changed. As expected, there’s no point in expecting anything from him.
“Well, that’s about all I wanted to say······”
Porori scratched his head awkwardly with his front paw and then said to me,
“From now on, leave your interpreting to me.”
“F*ck?”
I raised an eyebrow at his offer to handle interpreting. What was he suddenly talking about?
As if anticipating my confusion, Porori began explaining fluently.
“Interpreting only works when I’m with you, right? The Young Lady told me I shouldn’t let anyone know I’m a Spirit Beast.”
“··· ···”
“So, whenever you’re with me, I’ll kindly handle the interpreting for you. Got it?”
“······F*ck.”
It hurt my pride. As I grumbled, Porori pointed out,
“You got misunderstood again today because you couldn’t speak. Are you going to keep letting that happen? Who knows when you’ll regain your speech.”
“F*ck.”
“Regain it soon, my ass. I heard you swearing at the sky back when we were in the forest. I still don’t get why you hate the sky so much.”
If you were in my shoes, you’d be cursing too.
If I had started in a city instead of the forest, things wouldn’t have been this bad.
I would’ve just accepted it from the start and focused on surviving day by day, figuring out the reasons later.
But I started in the forest and even suffered humiliation from Porori. Then, I got my arm bitten by a wolf.
How could I not curse? Even if I asked them for a reason, it would only make me angrier.
“You’re good at hunting, so why not pray for 100 days like me? Maybe you’ll get the Power of Thunder.”
“··· ···”
“What are you looking at, you bastard? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of offering me as a sacrifice?”
Busted. Honestly, there’s no better sacrifice than Porori.
He’s a Spirit Beast with immense physical strength. He’s the perfect offering.
“Ugh. I was trying to help, but you’re such an ungrateful bastard. This is why beasts are hopeless.”
“F*ck.”
Says the beast himself.
When I retorted, he clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.
Then, folding his short front legs arrogantly, he said something quite intriguing.
“Hey. Did you know? Even if you regain your speech, people will still treat you like a beast.”
“F*ck?”
“What do you think I mean? Just look at your blood-red eyes.”
I touched near my eyes. Red Eyes are a symbol of monsters with the Berserk Trait.
In fact, I also possess the Berserk Trait. When it manifests, I lose reason and go on a rampage.
Thankfully, by maxing out my Tenacity, the frequency of Berserk has decreased, though it did activate during my fierce battle with Porori.
“Even if you regain your speech, the fact that you’re a beast-like creature won’t change. Especially when you go berserk, that tendency will only get worse. After speech, you should work on fixing that nasty temper of yours.”
“F*ck?”
“Why are you asking me? I was originally a squirrel, so I don’t know anything about Berserk.”
Come to think of it, I’m curious. How did this guy become so strong?
In the game, Porori couldn’t be kept as a pet and could only be killed.
Even if you found his habitat, all you’d discover were piles of acorns, with no clues about his past.
“F*ck.”
“How did I get strong? Hmm······ maybe when I killed that Giant Bird? That’s when I realized I could become stronger. After that, I just kept surviving, and here I am.”
His path to strength is similar to mine. I almost died to a wolf but barely managed to survive using my wits.
Perhaps true strength is something only beasts who fully grasp the Survival of the Fittest can attain.
It’s me. Though it’s a bit different since I was forced into it.
“Anyway, take this.”
While I was lost in thought, Porori handed me something. It was a bluish herb.
I have no idea where he could have hidden it in that tiny body.
“Try praying to the sky right now. This is quite a rare herb. You’ll know just by its scent.”
“··· ···”
At first, I was suspicious, but I accepted it for now. Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like he was joking.
As I sniffed the herb, a sharp yet sweet aroma pierced my nose.
I couldn’t help but show a slightly surprised expression at the scent. This must be pretty hard to come by.
“Just so you know, it’s not because you saved my life, alright? Later, I’ll kill you and smear your face with poop, so keep that in mind.”
“······F*ck.”
Of course you would. I chuckled and examined the herb closely.
It seemed freshly picked, with dirt still clinging to its roots. The unique chill of the night air lingered on it.
This herb is called the Blue Forget-Me-Not. Unlike the abundant Silver Forget-Me-Not, it only blooms at night.
Its effects include detoxification and mana enhancement. If I give it to Ellie after she grows, she could craft a high-quality potion.
“I offered acorns, but I wonder if this will be enough for you. Don’t you know?”
“··· ···”
I do know.
As I mentioned earlier, offering tributes to gain faith is the way of Gulak, the God of Destruction.
Each time you offer prey or herbs, your faith increases, and if the prey is strong or the herb rare, the increase is even greater.
A Blue Forget-Me-Not is roughly equivalent to a B+ grade, so it’s likely to raise faith significantly.
‘Should I ask Kara for help?’
The problem is the altar. To offer a tribute, an altar is necessary, and the only one who knows about it is Kara.
In the game, altars couldn’t be crafted directly. You absolutely needed someone’s help.
‘Then does that mean this guy made an altar on his own?’
I stared intently at Porori. Noticing my gaze, he shrugged his shoulders.
“I prayed while looking at the tree storage where I kept my acorns. When I put the acorns inside and prayed to the sky, they all disappeared.”
So the altar doesn’t matter as long as you’re sincere? That might be the case.
Moreover, I’m already receiving plenty of attention from the god. Though calling it attention is just a nice way of saying I’ve been marked.
‘Well, what can I do?’
I need to master the language first if I want to stop being treated like a wildling. Since Porori is helping, there’s no reason to refuse.
I nodded my head slightly to thank Porori. He scratched his cheek and muttered.
“It feels weird to get a thank-you from you. We usually just fight whenever we meet.”
“F*ck.”
“Like you said, there won’t be much reason to fight anymore. Well, I’ll be off now.”
With that, Porori scurried out through the open window.
His agile and flexible movements were impressive, just like a squirrel. He really is a squirrel through and through.
I closed the window Porori had exited through and lay down on the bed. After lying down, I stared at the Blue Forget-Me-Not he had given me.
‘It’s not like he’s giving me poison and then the antidote.’
It seems he felt guilty about teasing me so harshly earlier.
If we were still in the wilderness, he would’ve just laughed it off. But after encountering civilization, it seems he’s developed a ‘conscience.’
On the other hand, I can’t even speak the language yet. I can’t accept the reality of being worse off than a squirrel.
‘Alright. What matters is sincerity.’
I jumped out of bed and began preparing to offer the tribute.
First, I tidied up the bed. I smoothed out the sheets and blankets neatly and removed all the pillows.
Then, I carefully placed the Blue Forget-Me-Not in the center. That completed the setup.
‘Since he’s watching me, this should be enough.’
He’s already showing interest by giving me a status window. If I put in enough sincerity, he’ll surely respond.
After finishing all the preparations, I stepped back two paces from the bed and knelt down.
Then, clasping my hands together, I prayed earnestly.
‘What was it again······ Ah, right. Gulak, the Destroyer of All and Master of Thunder, I offer this tribute to you. Please grant me strength.’
I recited the prayer I had seen in the Soul World, doing my best to recall it.
This prayer is often heard among the Tatars. As I mentioned before, the Tatars worship Gulak.
‘······Should I pray a bit more?’
I even apologized for all the times I had cursed at the sky. I begged and begged for my language to be fixed.
Of course, it’s unlikely that offering just one tribute will fix my language.
That’s why I plan to frequently offer prey like Porori does. I’ll also get Kara’s help while I’m at it.
‘So please, hear my prayer.’
I finished my final prayer and slowly opened my eyes. Then, I checked the herb on the bed.
As if to completely shatter even the slightest hope I had, the herb remained perfectly intact.
“F*ck.”
Damn it. Of course.
Maybe it’s because I’ve already been marked, but there wasn’t even a response.
I had somewhat expected this, but it’s still disappointing since I didn’t completely rule out the possibility.
‘But why isn’t there even a message?’
Messages about insulting the god appear just fine, so why doesn’t anything show up for this?
Do I really need to visit the church this weekend? I do have something to take care of there, but it feels a bit awkward.
If I go further and perform ‘that act’ in the church, I’ll definitely get banned from entering. That happened in the game too.
‘I’ll just give it to Rod.’
I picked up the perfectly intact Blue Forget-Me-Not. Its detoxification effects are excellent, so it should be useful for Rod.
Just as I was looking around for a place to store the herb—
“··· ···”
“··· ···”
I locked eyes with Rod, who was peeking at me through the slightly open door.
He should’ve been sound asleep, so how did he wake up? Maybe he just woke up naturally because of his age.
Judging by his wide-open eyes, it seems he witnessed everything I just did. He must’ve seen me making a fuss over a single herb.
‘Hmm. I feel like I’m about to die of embarrassment.’
If I had known this would happen, I would’ve waited until tomorrow. I was too hasty.
In the suffocating atmosphere, I stared blankly at Rod.
Rod, caught in the awkward and peculiar mood, hesitated to speak.
[Faith has increased!]
But why is this suddenly popping up?
I muttered in disbelief as I stared at the message in front of me.
“······F*ck.”
At that single word.
“······A curse?”
Rod muttered hesitantly.
Come to think of it, the words I just spoke weren’t in Korean but in this world’s language.
That aside, why did my faith suddenly increase? I have no idea.
“Did you just······ curse?”
I should deal with the situation first. Forget explanations; I need to clarify things.
“Long. Story.”
Now, what does that mean? Surprisingly, it means it’s a long story.
Starting from Porori’s visit to the offering of the tribute, there’s no way around explaining everything.
Rod’s expression grew even more confused. Perhaps he wasn’t fully awake yet, as he rubbed his eyes.
Meanwhile, I thought about Gulak, who seemed to have deliberately delayed increasing my faith.
‘Is this bastard doing this on purpose?’
His actions are less like a God of Destruction and more like a God of Chaos······
······Wait a minute. Could it be?
[You have insulted the god. Faith has decreased.]
“F*ck.”
I muttered quietly. I think I know who’s causing this mess.
Meanwhile, Rod pressed the bridge of his nose firmly and, looking tired, asked me,
“Say that again. What did you say?”
“F*ck.”
As always, the word rolled off my tongue with perfect sharpness.
Rod nodded at my response and, with a face that said, “Of course,” opened his mouth.
“I must have misheard. There’s no way you’d actually speak.”
“··· ···”
“Stop doing strange things and get some sleep. It’s always good to rest enough.”
With that advice, Rod closed the door. I stood still in front of it for a while.
In one hand, I held the Blue Forget-Me-Not tightly. But as a sacrificial offering, it was utterly useless.
‘······In the Soul World, you can choose another god at any time.’
This means that even if you choose Gaia, you can return to believing in Gulak. So, there are various ways to increase faith.
But this only applies if you haven’t chosen Chaos.
The moment you choose Chaos, you must believe in them from beginning to end.
You can never switch to another god because Chaos will interfere midway.
A god whose conditions and potential perfectly suit the name ‘Chaos,’ surpassing other gods.
‘To increase faith when choosing Chaos······’
You must pique their interest or amuse them. But since what they find amusing is random, it’s practically better to give up.
Even veteran players who’ve cleared multiple playthroughs couldn’t figure out how Chaos works.
In other words, they can freely raise or lower my faith, just like what happened earlier.
Thud-
The moment I realized Chaos was watching me, I threw myself onto the bed.
Somehow, even just cursing internally caused my faith to plummet.
Gaia and Gulak don’t decrease faith unless specific conditions are met.
I should have noticed this earlier, but I was too busy suffering in the forest to realize it until now.
‘······If you have any conscience, please raise my faith a little.’
Did they sense something from those words?
[You have insulted the god. Faith has decreased.]
Instead of faith, Chaos threw me a middle finger.
For some reason, I feel like I can hear them saying, ‘Yeah, screw you.’
Unlike other gods, direct communication with Chaos is impossible, so this is the only way to interact.
‘······Are they seriously messing with me?’
The only saving grace is that, despite their mischievousness, they’re fundamentally a benevolent god.
Otherwise, they’d be a demon-aligned god. For now, I have no choice but to rely on their potential.
Besides, the boost in my stats while surviving in the forest was likely thanks to Chaos.
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep sigh, thinking about the complicated days ahead. For now, I’ll leave the interpretation to Porori.
It seemed best to half-abandon my faith. There’s no way to predict what Chaos will find amusing.
Still, they do grant excellent stats, so I might as well rely on that.
‘Let’s see how this turns out.’
I’ll prove that I can master language without relying on faith.
With that resolve, the next day came.
“The soy sauce factory manager is Kang, and the miso factory manager is also Kang.”
“··· ···”
“How is it? Amazing, right? You, too, can do it if you just trust the sky, my friend.”
Once again, I was teabagged.
It’s even sadder because it wasn’t done to mock me.
Well, still.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, you can talk now?”
“Ah.”
“Guess not.”
At least I didn’t come away empty-handed.